Yesterday, Greg Abbott, announced that Texas was going to open 100% and no longer require masks. As of today, the death toll in the United States of America is over half of a million souls. The CDC, America’s official health agency, did not recommend nor endorse this plan by Governor Abbott. It’s a political move, plain and simple. That’s not a wild accusation, it is a simple truth. We will all do well to remember that the next time he runs for any office. Abbott uses political calculation to govern, not science or truth.
Following the health guidelines hurts the economy. Hurting the economy is worse politically than having a public health emergency. So, the politically expedient thing to do is to choose the economy over public health. That’s the argument from conservatives, and our governor likes those folks because they vote for him. This is who he is, and we deserve him because we elected him. For his voters, he’s exactly what they want him to be. Now we will know what he does in the future. He will choose the economy over health and safety. If you want that in a governor, vote for him. If you don’t, vote for the other gal.
It is for the same reason that the electrical grid was deregulated – it’s a political move. Texas politics don’t run on science or outcomes. They’re based on poll numbers and primary voter demographics. In today’s polarized climate, where people are getting their own alternative facts on social media instead of the truth, both sides spar in the comment section about which side is made of sheep and losers and which side has the people who can think for themselves and do “research.”
Just today, I read a facebook post by someone( who once told me that smoking wouldn’t damage her lungs because she exercises a lot) tell someone else that masks are one-hundred percent ineffective and it’s her constitutional right to be able to decide not to wear one. She also called our current President, Joe Biden, a pedophile and suggested he stole the election. She had no shame in saying these things. Her mood clearly told everyone with the audacity to challenge her that they were clearly wasting their time, and we should all go drink a green smoothie if we wanted protection from COVID-19.
What do you say to something like this? Really? You can’t say anything. It’s a complete waste of time. Just try to tell a Bernie bro that he was mathematically eliminated without a single superdelegate taken into account in 2016 and see how that works out for you, while you’re at it.
The facts are clear: Masks prevent contagion. This fact has been known for much longer than our lifetimes. Fact: Governor Abbott needs to distract from the multi-billion dollar disaster we had with the giant ice storm a few weeks back. Fact: Unmasking Texas grants him some political cover when for a week, Beto O’Rourke visited Texan’s homes and got them the help they needed while Greg Abbott spewed bumper sticker sized excuses for the power outages and somehow linked them to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Fact: Unmasking Texas is against CDC Guidelines.
Until the Texas Democratic Party has any real pull in statewide elections, what I think or you think simply does not matter. The furthest right voices will be the only voices politicians care about. Texas is the most corrupt state government there is right now, and the voters are mostly ok with that, as long as it’s a cowboy hat wearing, gun slinging anti-abortion cartoon holding the reins of the state Government.
Facebook Commenter Swears Green Smoothie More Effective Than COVID-19 Vaccine!
What the extreme conservative movement wants is libertarian regulatory policy and social conservatism. That basically means we’re on our own down here, and that’s exactly the point. That’s what they run on. The government of Texas will stay out of your business. They won’t protect it, either, unless your local municipality has a fire truck or a policeman on patrol. So, Texans, we’ve got to help ourselves.
Keep wearing masks, and just socially distance from the people who don’t. They’re showing you who they are, so believe them and stay away. Get your vaccine as soon as you can. Don’t engage the people who can’t listen to facts of any sort. You’re not going to change their mind. The CDC or your local health department might update you with some information from time to time. If you’ve got some extra time on your hands, feel free to call your state and local representatives and let them know that you would like the politicians to follow science and not politics when it comes to making decisions.
